Intuitive Eating
Evelyn Tribole M.S. R.D., Elyse Resch M.S. R.D F.A.D.A
19 min
7 Key Points
4.1 RateWhat's inside?
Discover a groundbreaking approach to food and dieting that encourages listening to your body's natural hunger signals, promoting a healthier relationship with food and overall well-being.
You'll learn
1. What's intuitive eating and how can you do it?2. Ditch diet culture and its bad vibes.3. Learn to listen to your body's hunger and fullness signals.4. Got emotional eating? Here's how to deal.5. Love your body and take care of it.6. Make peace with food and your body.Key points
01Intuitive Eating is about listening to your body, not a diet plan
Intuitive Eating is a fresh take on nutrition that goes beyond just what you eat. It's about tuning into your body's needs and signals, and embracing them without guilt or judgment. This is a big shift from the usual dieting mindset that often involves strict control, restrictions, and guilt around food. The secret to a healthier and happier life, according to this approach, is to understand and accept your body's needs. This means learning to listen and respond to your body's signals, rather than ignoring them or feeling guilty about them. For example, if you're so busy that you skip meals, your body sends you hunger signals that you might ignore. Or, if you overindulge at a party, you might feel guilty about potential weight gain. These are examples of not listening to or accepting your body's signals. Intuitive Eating is about shifting this mindset. It's about letting go of guilt and learning to feel comfortable in your body. It's about choosing foods based on what you genuinely enjoy and what makes you feel good, rather than their perceived "healthiness" or "unhealthiness". It's about respecting your body's signals and understanding the feelings of hunger and fullness. And ultimately, it's about learning to love your body and enjoy life. Here's a simple step-by-step guide to Intuitive Eating: 1. Pay attention to your body's signals: This means noticing when you're hungry and when you're full. These signals are your body's way of telling you what it needs. 2. Respond to your body's signals: Once you notice these signals, the next step is to respond to them. If you're hungry, eat. If you're full, stop eating. This might seem straightforward, but it can be tough in a society that often encourages overeating or undereating. 3. Choose foods based on what you enjoy: Instead of picking foods based on their perceived healthiness or unhealthiness, choose foods that you genuinely enjoy and that make you feel good. This can help you develop a healthier relationship with food. 4. Respect your body: This means accepting your body as it is, without judgment or guilt. It's about understanding that your body is unique and that it's okay to have different needs and desires than others. 5. Enjoy life: Finally, Intuitive Eating is about enjoying life. It's about freeing yourself from guilt and restrictions and learning to enjoy food and life in general. In a nutshell, Intuitive Eating is a groundbreaking approach to nutrition that involves understanding and accepting your body's needs and signals. It's about choosing foods based on what you enjoy, respecting your body, and enjoying life. It's a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that can lead to a healthier and happier life.
02Diets often do more harm than good
Let's talk about diets. You know, those structured eating plans that promise to help you shed pounds, boost your health, and make you feel great about yourself. Sounds good, right? But here's the thing - diets aren't all they're cracked up to be. In fact, they can do more harm than good. First off, let's talk about the whole "restriction" thing. Diets often tell you to cut out certain foods or food groups. But what happens when you tell yourself you can't have something? You want it even more. Say you're on a low-carb diet and you're not allowed to eat bread or pasta. Suddenly, all you can think about is a big, warm loaf of bread or a heaping plate of spaghetti. The more you try to resist, the stronger your cravings get. And eventually, you might cave and eat way more of these "forbidden" foods than you would have if you hadn't been on a diet in the first place. That's not exactly a healthy way to eat, is it? Then there's the whole yo-yo effect. You know, when you lose weight on a diet, but then gain it all back (and sometimes even more) once you stop dieting. It's like a rollercoaster ride for your body and your self-esteem. You might start a diet, lose 10 pounds, and feel great. But then you stop the diet, go back to your regular eating habits, and gain back those 10 pounds plus an extra 5. That can make you feel like a failure and start the whole dieting cycle all over again. And let's not forget about the social aspect. When you're on a diet, you might find yourself avoiding social events because you're worried about the food that will be there. That can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Who wants to miss out on a friend's birthday party because they're worried about the cake? Diets can also mess with your metabolism. When you're on a diet, you're giving your body less energy than it's used to. So, your body responds by slowing down your metabolism to save energy. That means you burn fewer calories when you're just sitting around, which can make it harder to lose weight and easier to gain it back. Lastly, diets can lead to serious eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. These are serious mental health conditions that can have severe physical health consequences. So, while diets might seem like a good idea, they can actually have a lot of negative effects. Instead of following strict diet rules, why not try listening to your body's hunger and fullness cues? It's a more intuitive approach to eating that can lead to a healthier relationship with food.
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03Ditch the diet mindset first
04Treat your hunger like you would a diet
05Enjoy your food, don't fear it
06There are many ways to start Intuitive Eating
07Conclusion
About Evelyn Tribole M.S. R.D., Elyse Resch M.S. R.D F.A.D.A
Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch are registered dietitians and nutrition therapists. Tribole is an award-winning dietitian specializing in eating disorders and sports nutrition. Resch, with over 35 years of experience, specializes in intuitive eating, eating disorders, and Health at Every Size. They co-authored "Intuitive Eating."
